Wed. Journal editor Dan Haley disapproves:

The giant hammer of the Roman Catholic archdiocese has landed at Ascension Church in Oak Park. On the pastor.

How else to explain the odd apology in the Sunday bulletin from Rev. Larry McNally? This summer McNally got way out front on the third rail issue of ordaining women. He also criticized Rome’s inquiry into America’s female religious orders.

He spoke from the pulpit, wrote a letter to the Sun-Times, and allowed/encouraged a petition drive outside the church doors calling on the church to change its stance and allow women priests.

In my opinion, Haley betrays extreme discomfort at requirements.  Thing is, Fr. McNally ain’t nothin’ without Holy Mother Church, which has always had requirements.

He has a pulpit in a grand church building that preceded him by many decades, built by an organization that did so by many centuries.  The organization is picky about who gets called Father in its ranks.  That’s one of its longstanding requirements.  Tut, tut.

Years ago, as president of a book-authors’ organization, I heard one of us bemoan the idea that you had to be a book author to get in.  But it was one of our requirements.

Chicago Reader had a cover story many years ago in which the writer inveighed against standards — but had to abide by those of the editor.  So it goes.

Get real, all ye requirements-deniers, editors, writers, priests, whoever you are.  You ain’t nothin’ without ’em.

Later: At the same time, this forcing McNally to testify himself, as it seems to be, smacks of ecclesiastical hardball, prompting the question, Would Jesus have done it that way?